Windows 8: A Couterblaste To Gloome & Doome

There is nothing new under the sun – or so it would seem with Microsoft. ZDNet’s Ed Bott is beginning to think he’s Bill Murray suffering through his Punxsutawney punishment in Ground Hog Day. He feels this way because just about every Windows 8 story of late sounds eerily similar to stories from 2001 and the release of Windows XP.

PC sales were significantly down in the third quarter of 2012 from those in the same period of 2011. Way back in the ancient days of 2001, PC sales were also in the toilet and manufacturers were hoping that XP would help to pull them out.

Some of the reasons for slow sales of PC’s – and Windows 8 – are obvious. Tablets like the iPad account for a significant amount of spending from consumers as they decide that perhaps, all they really need is one of these devices. Back in ’01, laptops were continuing to be more and more common than those supposedly in the know were starting to proclaim that the desktop was dead. In those days, however, people were shifting from Windows on a desktop to windows on a laptop. In 2012, buyers are shifting from Windows on a desktop or laptop to Android or iOS on a tablet. Yes, there are now Windows 8 tablets but it is still too soon to determine what sort of share of the market they will own.

Another factor is that Windows 7 is still fairly new. Compared to XP, it’s practically a spring chicken! And so are the PC’s that were purchased in order to run 7. As long as Windows 7 adequately fulfills the needs of consumers, the impetus to upgrade is relatively small.

Dr. Data will definitely give Ed Bott credit for his observations but believes that things are a bit different this time around. At the end of the day, we won’t really know anything until 2013 when the 4th quarter sales figures are released. Read Ed’s story & decide for yourself.